Page 99 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

“Your girlfriend?”

“Ex-girlfriend. I took your advice and made some changes to my life, beginning with ending my relationship with her. She didn’t take it well.”

“How do you mean?”

“She was pissed. Said I led her to believe we’d be getting married when that’s absolutely not true. I never talked to her about marriage. I swear to God, Sam. That never happened.”

“I believe you, but I think you need to entertain the possibility that she’s acting out.”

“I just can’t believe she’d do something like this.”

“I never imagined my ex-husband would try to kill me. Watch your back, Cameron. If she’s capable of vandalizing your car, who knows what else she might do?”

“Gigi.”

“What?”

“I’ve been spending time with her…” His heart beat so fast, he feared he might hyperventilate. “If she’s been following me…”

“Hang on. I’m sending Patrol to her place.”

Cameron could hear Sam on the radio ordering Patrol officers to respond to Gigi’s apartment immediately. The urgency he heard in her voice spiked his anxiety as he fired off a text to Gigi. Someone flattened all my tires. Thinking it could be my ex. Sam is sending Patrol to your place just in case. If anyone comes to the door besides me, don’t let them in. Please respond to let me know you got this. And sorry about this…

She wrote back right away, thank goodness. OMG, Cam… I’m fine. I won’t let anyone in.

I’ll be there as soon as I can.

This was the last freaking thing she needed after having been recently assaulted by her ex. The next hour was spent dealing with Patrol officers, filing a report and answering questions. “I think I might know who did it, but until we have proof, I don’t want to throw her name into this,” he told the shift supervisor, who asked him the same questions the Patrol officer had asked. “The building is pulling security footage for me, and as soon as I can take a look, I’ll let you know if I see anyone I recognize.”

“Let us know what you find out.”

“I will.” He was dying to get to Gigi’s, but he waited twenty more minutes for the security people to review the video.

“I think we have something, Detective Green,” the security director said, inviting Cameron into the office to take a look.

As the other man played the video, Cameron watched without blinking, holding his breath until he saw a white Nissan Altima stop next to his car. When the driver got out, he gasped, recognizing the woman he’d been dating for the last year by her height and body shape. And then she looked up at his townhouse, showing her face to the camera before systematically puncturing all four of his tires.

“You know her?” the security guy asked.

“Yeah. She’s my ex.”

“Ended badly, huh?”

“No, it just ended, and thank God it did if this is who she really is. Can you put that on a thumb drive for me?”

“You got it.”

With the drive in hand, Cam went outside and put through another call to Sam. “Sorry to bother you again, Lieutenant, but I’ve got video proof it was Jaycee.”

“What do you want to do?”

He thought about that for a minute, debating whether he wanted to press charges. Glancing toward the parking lot, he saw that the Patrol commander was still on-site. “I think I want to press charges.”

“I think you should, or she’s apt to keep this up.”

“That’s my fear.”

“Do you want me to take care of it?”

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